Earlier this year at UFC 329, Conor McGregor returned to the octagon after a gap of almost five years. Coming back against former arch-rival Max Holloway, McGregor suffered a quick defeat as he injured his ACL just seconds into the fight.
Now having undergone surgery and recovering, McGregor might be done with fulfilling his dreams of becoming a three-division UFC Champion. With one more fight left in his contract, McGregor hopes to return in 2027 and compete in it. However, he would be done with UFC after that.
Recently, while having a candid chat with a man in the crowd during Hype Italy, McGregor opened up about his UFC retirement plans and addressed a jump to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), a brand which he currently co-owns.
“I really enjoy bare-knuckle fighting,” McGregor shared. “I don’t think there is any chance of a boring fight in bare-knuckle. Now, I am a mixed martial artist—maybe I’m saying this because I had a bad time out the last time. Good MMA—really good MMA—is hard to beat, but bare-knuckle is very exciting, very dangerous, and it takes more courage,” he added.
While McGregor would be finishing up his chapter in UFC, “The Notorious One” wants to begin a new one in his life with BKFC. “I’m looking forward to a bare-knuckle fight myself,” McGregor responded when asked if he would compete in a bare-knuckle bout. “Big chance. Big chance! I’m going to lay down my gloves in that Octagon for my final UFC contract (fight), but not to retire—to announce bare-knuckle. Teeth come and go, just like a nose.”
While not confirmed or officially announced yet, McGregor has been very open about his intentions to join BKFC in the near future.
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